


Pulitzer's Press

by Elizabeth_Watson1895



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Jack Kelly, Barista Jack, Coffee, Coffee Art, Coffee Shops, Davey POV, Davey has an essay to write, Davey is a tired college student, Davey is crushing, First Meetings, Jack works in a coffee shop, Latte - Freeform, M/M, Manhattan, Meet-Cute, POV Third Person, POV Third Person Limited, Pre-Relationship, Race also works in the coffee shop, Race and Jack are friends, latte art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 07:18:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17935292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elizabeth_Watson1895/pseuds/Elizabeth_Watson1895
Summary: Davey is a tired college student with an essay due in two hours. He stumbles into the coffee shop Jack works at, and is amazed by the handsome barista who draws beautiful latte art for him. He keeps coming back, and before long, Davey has fallen head over heels for the cute boy, but refuses to admit it to even himself.





	Pulitzer's Press

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_God, I need coffee_ , Davey thought, his eyelids drooping as he searched for a place to write his essay with a deadline fast approaching. His eyes landed on a little shop down the street, where a chalk drawing of a coffee cup steamed on a black sign. “Pulitzer’s Press,” it read. Davey shrugged and made his way down the street.

He pushed open the little green door to the coffee shop, and a bell jingled.

“Welcome to Pulitzer’s Press,” a voice with a thick New York accent called out. Davey looked at the owner of the voice, a boy about his own age wearing a white apron over a blue button-up. “What can I get for you today?”

Davey stopped studying the boy and looked up at the giant blackboard filled with options written in a scrawling hand. “Uhhh,” he said, feeling overwhelmed. His eyes landed on a drink marked “Coffee of the Day,” something called “Manhattan Latte”

“I’ll have the Coffee of the Day?” he said hesitantly. The boy, Jack, his nametag said, laughed.

“What, ain’t you sure?” he teased playfully.

“Um, well,” Davey said, swallowing hard, feeling a little flustered.

“Eh, I’m just playing with you,” Jack said, laughing again. “What’s the name for the order?”

“David,” he managed.

“Alright, Davey, that’ll be four dollars and 33 cents.” Davey pulled out a five-dollar bill and handed it to him. While the boy counted out his change, he asked, “Do you want that for here or to go?”

“Here,” Davey decided, looking at the clock. His essay was due in two hours, and coffee shops had wifi anyway.

“Alright. Have a seat anywhere, and I’ll have it out to you in a minute.” Jack handed Davey his change, and Davey went to find a spot to sit.

He found a small table in the corner by an outlet, and settled in. He pulled out his laptop, quickly pulling up his essay.

He stared at it for a minute, before his eyes flicked up to watch the barista make his drink. _God, he was cute_ , he thought. He immediately flushed and looked back down at his essay.

_Not the time_ , he reminded himself. Cute boys were nice and all, but he had a deadline. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from looking back over at the boy, and admiring his sharp jawline. _Damn_ , he thought.

He’d just managed to type out a new sentence for his essay when the boy came over.

“Here you go, Davey!” he said, setting a latte in a large red mug on the table. Davey smiled at him.

“Thanks,” he said, looking down at the drink as he went to pick it up. He gasped. A perfect rendition of the Manhattan skyline floated in the foam.

“Did you draw that?” he asked Jack.

“Yeah,” the boy shrugged.

“You’re really good,” Davey said, admiring it.

“It’s just a bunch of buildings, don’t get too excited about it,” Jack scoffed.

“No, really,” Davey insisted. “I don’t want to drink it, ‘cause I’ll wreck it!”

“Don’t be silly,” Jack said, but a smile played at the corner of his lips. “Enjoy,” he called over his shoulder.

Davey stared back down at the beautiful skyline. _Wow,_ he thought. Still, he needed the caffeine, so reluctantly he sipped at the coffee, watching the art fade away.

Two hours later, Davey triumphantly hit submit on his essay. “Yes!” he cheered quietly. He noticed Jack looking at him from the counter, and flushed red.

“What you been working on so intently?” the boy asked, wandering over towards him.

“Essay. For school,” Davey replied.

“Oh, you a student around here?” Jack asked, and Davey nodded.

“You?” Jack shook his head. “Really?” Davey asked. “Not even art school?”

Jack scoffed. “Like I could afford that,” then immediately seemed to regret his words. “What do you study?” he asked, quickly changing the subject.

“English,” Davey replied. “Not sure what I’m doing with it yet, but I like it.”

Jack nodded.

“I should probably get going,” Davey said, after a moment, looking at the time. “It’s getting kinda late.”

“Hey, you want something for your way out?” Jack asked, noticing the long empty mug.

“Nah,” Davey replied. “I need to actually sleep tonight.” He shrugged on his jacket and picked up his jacket.

“It was nice meeting you, Davey,” the boy said.

“You, too…” Davey paused, realizing that although he’d read the boy’s name, they’d never actually been introduced.

“Jack,” he supplied.

“Jack,” Davey echoed. “See you again sometime!”

“Yeah, see you around,” Jack replied, as Davey walked out the door. Davey could’ve sworn he heard him sigh, but he knew he was imagining it.

 

The next day, Davey found himself walking into Pulitzer’s Press again after he was done with his first class. He didn’t have a lot of time before the next one, but he just needed coffee. It definitely had nothing to do with the hot guy who kept popping into his head unannounced.

Sure enough, Jack was behind the counter when he walked in. “Welcome to Pul-” he started as he heard the bell, but he interrupted himself when he looked up. “Davey!”  
“Hey, Jack,” he said, unable to keep a smile off his face. The boy had remembered him!

“What’ll it be today?” he asked.

“Whatever’s fastest with the most caffeine,” Davey said, feeling a little disappointed he wouldn’t be getting any latte art today.

“Sure thing,” Jack replied, already starting. Not even a minute later, he handed Davey a to-go cup with “Davey” scribbled on the side.

“Thanks,” Davey replied, smiling at him.

“Course,” Jack replied. “See ya, Davey,” he said, winking.

Davey felt a blush creep into his cheeks. “S-see you later,” he replied, halfway out the door.

 

He started going to the coffee shop every day. Some days he only had time for a cup to go, other days he sat in there for hours.

When he could stay, and it wasn’t busy in the shop, Jack would come and perch on his table. Today was one of those days.

“So you’re telling me you actually enjoy reading this stuff?” Jack asked incredulously, picking up a copy of _Robinson Crusoe._ Davey made a face.

“Well, not that one. But a lot of them, yeah. _Robinson Crusoe_ is crazy boring, though. And any reading gets a lot less interesting when you have a deadline. I used to read three books a day and loved it, but now that I have to fight through all these books for class, I don’t spend any of my free time reading anymore.”

“That’s sad,” Jack commented. “That’s kinda why I don’t want to go to art school.” Davey looked up. They hadn’t discussed Jack’s schooling, or lack thereof, since the off-hand mention on the first day. “I don’t want to turn something I love into something I have to do, you know?” Davey nodded.

“I get that.”

They lapsed into an easy silence, and Davey took a sip of his sunset-decorated coffee. Before long, the bell on the door jingled, and Jack was up in a flash and back behind the counter, leaving Davey’s receipt on the table. Davey barely glanced at it, but something dark caught his eye. He picked it up, realizing Jack had drawn Davey in pen. Davey’s stomach flipped in a way he couldn’t explain, and a warm feeling spread throughout him. Jack had drawn him?

He carefully placed the receipt between the pages of his notebook, intending to put it somewhere safe when he got back to his room. Finishing his coffee, he gathered up his things and headed towards the door.

“See ya, Davey!” Jack called.

“Bye, Jack!” Davey called back, a buzzing feeling in his chest. It was nothing, he told himself.

 

Davey started looking forward to his hours spent in the coffee shop with Jack. He still told himself it wasn’t about Jack, but he was finding that lie harder and harder to maintain, even to himself.

So when he walked in one day to find a different boy working the counter, he couldn’t fight his disappointment.

“Yo, what can I get you?” the boy asked.

“Umm,” Davey said, blinking in confusion.

“Race, what did we tell ya? You can’t greet customers like that, it’s unprofessional or somethin.” Jack came out of the back, wiping his hands on his apron. “Davey! Hey!” A smile spread across his face.

“Oh, you’re Davey?” The other boy, Race, asked.

“Yeah?” Davey said, surprised the other boy had heard of him.

“Oh ho ho ho now I see why Jack won’t shut up about his new _friend_ ,” Race crowed. Jack smacked him on the arm. Davey just stood there, confused.

“Sorry about him,” Jack said. “What’ll it be?”

“It’s gotta be to-go today,” Davey said. “Just something basic.”

Davey leaned against the counter while he waited, and he heard Race hiss, “This is your chance. What are you waiting for?”

“Shut up!” Jack hissed back. Trying not to seem too obvious, Davey turned to watch Jack work.

Jack concentrated, a little slip of pink tongue poking between his lips as he concentrated. He got out a Sharpie and scribbled something on the to-go cup, before filling it with steaming coffee. Davey watched, mesmerized, as Jack poured milk in expertly, and drizzled caramel over the whole thing.

“Here you go, Davey!” Jack said, handing him the cup. “See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Davey agreed, already halfway out the door. He took a quick sip of the coffee, before his eyes landed on the writing on the cup. He stopped in his spot.

“Text me -Jack” it read, and a number was scrawled underneath it. Davey looked back at the barista, who winked at him.

He blushed, and walked out the door into the chilly Manhattan air. Maybe he did come here because of the cute barista. It didn't hurt anything, did it?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> Hope you enjoyed this!  
> I might add more chapters later if I feel like it, but it stands on its own.  
> I just discovered Newsies Broadway (Watched the movie years ago and loved it, but I am now OBSESSED with the Broadway version...and Jeremy Jordan....)  
> Also I wrote this in like an hour (instead of studying for my test), so please forgive any typos!  
> Let me know what you think!  
> EW


End file.
